My Cat
Mimesis
My cat is certainly a standard house variety. They stroll over to me at the least opportune moments, and stare at me with a look that demands attention. They do not move, save for pawing at me. Meow, meow, meow. Like that, in a pitch specially for drawing the attention of my ears. The warm air from the heater flutters their soft fur. They are about one foot tall, but I haven't actually bothered to measure. There is nothing actively hostile about them, but when I crouch to pet them, the rest of my day disappears.
They have something to do with my attention—anyone can see that. Or with my short term memory. Once I suggested that they've been following me for ten or so years, but they walked by me uninterested. I told them of the stray kittens in my childhood home's backyard one night, too. I do not think this cat is the same. I cannot recall when they first appeared—before I graduated high school, certainly. It was not in any classes that I saw them but rather in the afternoons, when, after I came home from school, I took out my notebook, and there they were, sleeping on the couch in the soon-to-set sun. I sat and played with them, as they played with me. Eventually, they got bored and opted instead to nap.
Lately, they have moved from the living room couch, where they spend their days, and have moved to my bedroom at night, where they curl at the end of my bed. They seem to want my attention both night and day. I do not know what it is about me that they like. If they wanted to leave, they could have done so long ago.
Cats may seem solitary, but they can get lonely. One anxious meow, and I would have a pit in my chest instantly form like a sinkhole.
One night, I decided to reason with them, but it made no impression. One night I presented a treat to them—something special that I was sure they’d like. They only took more of my time. One night I set them out. I don’t know where I got the tenacity, but I even turned from the door. I hardly need to tell you, they found their way back to me. Here’s my problem: If they demand my attention in my household, as they have pretty much done already, how long will it be until they follow me outside? How long before they request I play with them in class or at play rehearsals? Think of the absentmindedness, the embarrassment. They are not Spot, after all, not invisible. And they are certainly not lethargic or independant. Soon, no one will trust me with non-feline matters.
I am thinking of properly adopting them and taking them to the vet. Perhaps tomorrow, or the day after that. I should find what type of cat they are, should I not? I assume it is the business of the vet, their duty, to care for brought animals, and identify the unknown. I would want to care for them as needed. Yes, I will definitely call the vet by the end of the week, or early next at the latest, and ask they identify my cat, my distracted small cat.